Journeys of Reconciliation
In 1947, a group of eight black and eight white civil rights activists participated in the first “freedom ride” to protest the southern states’ segregation laws on buses and trains. This group of activists formed C.O.R.E., the Congress of Racial Equality, with a mission to end racism in the United States through nonviolent activism. They called their first freedom ride: Journey of Reconciliation.
Later, a group of activists and leaders in South Africa would take their own journey of reconciliation. They formed the Truth and Reconciliation Commission which sought to heal their country from the pain of racism experienced under the Apartheid laws that had been endured for 45 years.
Journeys of Reconciliation Students at the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco, July 2007.
For many centuries race has determined one’s place in society throughout the world. This history of race and the quest for human rights does not stand idle, waiting outside of the doors of our schools, homes, and places of work. It walks with us through those doors, in myriad forms. Understanding this history is important so that we can develop an informed perspective on the issues we wrestle with today and for the decisions we will make in the future.
Oral History Project
In order to gain understanding and perspective of the past, a group of high school students from Johannesburg joined forces with high school students from the San Francisco area on an oral history project. These students interviewed a diverse group of activists who experienced the struggle to end Apartheid in South Africa. As a comparative study, they interviewed activists from the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. While this project centers on a past that is often painful, it is a project that also looks to the future. As these students explored issues of race and justice, they focused on the process of reconciliation in both countries, learning strategies for positive change today.
After the fall of Apartheid in 1993, South Africa offers the world a unique model of transitional justice through its establishment of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and its creation of innovative methods for promoting social change. The United States offers a model that is strongly rooted in its courts, and is driven by landmark rulings from its Supreme Court. We see similar events and find interesting contrasts in both countries.
The history of segregation and racism is a difficult field of study, yet it is one that is very important to undertake. As the generations shift, the memory of these past events must be collected, documented, and shared. The historian James Carroll states, “How we understand the past is the most important element determining the future.” How students understand history is affected by the tools offered in the classroom to help them discover and interpret it. Oral history is a tool that aides students with this process and promotes a discovery of the past while honoring the people who experienced it.
The Documentary
Memories vary with the unique perspective of the individuals who are interviewed. The collection of these memories looks like a richly formed patchwork quilt made from the fabric of their lives. These important stories are represented in intellectually vibrant and educational short films listed in the website menu.
This project began with training in both countries on oral history methodology by oral historians Tali Nates in Johannesburg, and Kelly Brisbois and Kathy Nasstrom in San Francisco. Instruction on the history of Apartheid was provided through the collaboration of Trevor Getz, Ph.D., San Francisco State University, and Theo Anaxagoras at Crawford College, Johannesburg. In addition, this team of educators worked with Facing History and Ourselves, an innovative educational resource for teachers and students of history. This unique educational program is the result of an international collaboration with: Crawford College, Sandton, South Africa; Chedzamedia, Inc., Johannesburg; Vulindlela, Johannesburg; San Francisco State University; Facing History and Ourselves, Oakland, California; the University of San Francisco; the Martin Luther King Research adn Education Institute at Stanford; and Michigan State University’s MATRIX project.
Photograph Information — Top row left to right: Jasmine Sudarkasa, Mark Brisbois, Nicole Brisbois. Second row left to right: Eric Slessarev and Jesse Harber. Third row left to right: Mathew Millar and Alex Slessarev. Fourth row left to right: Margot Boorman and Tess Bredesen. Fifth row left to right: Aayesha Jalaluddin Soni and Maneo Mohale. Photographer: Sonja Houy. Venue: Museum of the African Diaspora